Breaking Point
by The Amazing Nerdette
Summary: History repeats itself when we refuse to learn from it. Lydia watches her little sister get sexually abused by her drunken father, and slowly the world begins to crumble around her. How far can she stretch until she reaches her breaking point?
1. Chapter 1

They say that history repeats itself if nothing is done. If history is simply ignored, then great repercussions shall occur. But yet, we continue to make the same mistakes, to spiral back to where we began, only to live through hell once more. The story of a girl in a distant school, and what happened on the night of her prom was widely known. It was a tale of caution to all evil, and a tale of horror to all. And for a while, society began to change. However, as we well know, society can never really change. The evil ones went back to their own ways as years progressed. Mothers and Fathers continued to beat their children, and one another. Children continued to be emotionally scarred by daily horrors they experienced from one another. There was no escape to the madness. And no lesson was learned from the tale of a girl, in high school, on the night of her prom.

A scream ripped through the slums in the middle of nowhere. It was a sound familiar to the area. Was it another murder, one more rape to add to the red days? Those who wondered at the sound were not far off.

In a shamble called a home, an older man of fifty-four was on top of his ten year old daughter. She screeched in desperation, for help, for anyone to come save her. But they were short lived.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" roared the drunken father. With a loud thud, his fist connected with her face, and her screams fell to whimpers, and tragic sobs.

Lydia pretended not to hear. She curled into a ball behind the closed door down the hall, trying desperately not to hear her little sister's cries for help. She was a coward…and she hated herself for it.

She was a disgusting human being, someone who sacrificed others for herself. But if this life had taught her anything, it was that the ones strong enough to survive would win in the end. She heard the hot, heavy grunts of the drunk in the other room, and the pained cries of little Esther.

She crawled away from the door, feeling bile rise in her throat, hot and guilt ridden. She stretched her arm under her mattress, feeling the wood floor at first, then the hard edge of her journal. She drew it out from beneath its hiding place. It was her sanity, her only safe place in the world. She flipped it open frantically, raging through the pages, scribbled and filled with numerous writings. A pen held the next empty page in the ever decreasing amount of space. She dreaded the day she would run out of freedom. With rapid desperation, she began to scribble, muttering to herself to drown out the sounds of horror in the next room.

"I hear my sister crying, I hear my father sighing, I hear my mother lying, I hear my own soul dying…"

She continued on with the poem, letting her mind run away to a far off land, where she was happy. Where her father didn't drink, and where her mother didn't cheat with an accountant. A place where her little sister would be allowed to be normal. A place where they all could live their lives out without any pain…any suffering.

The screams went on.


	2. Chapter 2

Lydia held Esther as they slept. They shared the same mattress, the same hopes, the same fears. Esther shook with silent tears as Lydia held her tight to her, stroking her head.

"Shh…it'll be alright. Just you see…"

Esther didn't verbally respond. However, the sobbing lessened and soon the scared, scarred girl fell asleep in her trusted big sister's arms. Lydia kissed the top of her head gently, taking in the dirty smell that attached to Esther like smoke. A young girl shouldn't smell like this. She continued to stroke her small forehead. She could feel the dirt peel off with the touch of her fingers, and the rough, course hair that clung to it with grease. Esther's bony frame, more skeleton than girl.

"I'm sorry." Lydia whispered, feeling herself choke up with emotion. "I'm so, so sorry Tessie."

This was her fault, in a way. If she could stand up to her father, and just be a better sister. Tessie was the only person in the world precious to her, and if she couldn't protect the most important person in her life, then what was she good for? That question haunted her every thought as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

She was awakened by the shouting across the house.

"You were out with that man again, weren't you?"

"What are you talking about? What man?"

"Fucker, think you can lie to me and get away with it?"

A loud crash, the tinkling of breaking glass, then absolute silence. She held her breath. No matter how often this happened, it was still frightening. She heard shuffling, and a door opening with a creak.

"Honey, I'm so sorry…I…I didn't mean it."  
The silence continued, and she heard the shuffling grow more frantic.  
"Don't you touch me!"

"Baby, forgive me. I didn't mean it."

"Like fuck you didn't!"

"Sweetheart-"

A door slammed shut, and more silence continued. Outside, the sound of a car growled to life, and gravel could be heard, crunching beneath the retreating tires. Lydia shut her eyes, and let out a sigh. She was filled with relief that the fight hadn't been taken to her room. It seemed that Tessie was still sleeping, a perfect little angel, grimy as she was.

She continued to listen for the sounds of the aftermath, as she called it. She wasn't disappointed. The crack of an opened cabinet, the sound of clinking liquor bottles…she let the sounds be drowned out by the pounding of Tessie's heart, and the slow, rhythmic pace of her own breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

Usually, school was a haven for children who had the experiences of Lydia and Esther. It was a chance to take on a new persona, and to attain the attention they craved. Esther was given that chance, but Lydia had to relinquish it to reality.

Lydia had dropped out of school when it was legal. At 16, she abandoned the haven of learning for a full time job. Her parents weren't bringing any money home, so it as up to her to pay the bills. Electricity, taxes, heating…she had to pay for it all. The little she had left she saved in a jar, hidden under a floor board beneath the ratty mattress.

By the time Esther had woken up, Lydia was already dressed for work, the standard McDonald's uniform adorning her in all its red-white glory. Tessie rubbed her eyes groggily, and Lydia approached the edge of the mattress.

"School time, Tessie. Wake up." She gently called.

"I'm awake…" She groaned, flipping over so that her back was to Lydia.

The older girl sighed. She might as well give her a few more minutes in bed.

She glanced about at the sparse room, with its tattered, peeling wallpaper and its unwelcoming aura. Her eyes came to a stop on the pile of rumpled clothes in the corner. They didn't have a closet, so the dirty floor was the next best storage space.

Lydia strode over and knelt down beside the bland mound of polyester. She didn't make enough money to buy colors. She didn't make enough money to buy happiness. She knew Esther hated the worn clothes, but neither of them really had a choice.

From within the pile of gray, she withdrew a colorless sweater, the words once imprinted on it long gone, and a pair of oversized jeans. Today was Monday, so there would be no new underwear. They didn't do the laundry until Saturday.

She stood, the clothes in her arms, and laid the down on the edge of the makeshift bed. She tried to smooth out some of the wrinkles, although most effort was in vain.

She reached over and touched Esther's shoulder. The little girl recoiled violently, and Lydia snatched her hand away.

"Tessie…it's just me."

She had forgotten the number one rule when dealing with Esther: No touching unless Esther wanted to be touched.

At the sound of her big sister's voice, Esther relaxed slowly and turned back around. She sat up, tossing her head with ornery determination. She hated school, but then again, so did all little kids. Lydia swept her hand over the clothes.

"Your wardrobe today, princess."

"I don't wanna wear it…it's all gross."

Lydia sighed, and jerked the sweater up.

"This nice and warm, and it's going to be cold later."

Esther crossed her arms over her chest.

"No!"

Lydia raised an eyebrow, quelling the rising anger. Even though she loved Tessie with all her heart, she couldn't deny that sometimes, Esther was a selfish brat.

"I'm going to count to three…One…two…"

Before she hit three, Esther snatched the clothes up, glaring with all the force her ten year old heart could muster. Lydia returned the nasty look with a syrupy sweet smile.

"Good."


End file.
